A MEMS microphone is formed on a single substrate that also includes microelectronic circuitry. high-temperature tolerance metals are used to form contacts in a metallization step before performing deep reactive ion etching and back patterning steps to form a MEMS microphone. high-temperature tolerant metals such as titanium, tungsten, chromium, etc. can be used for the contacts. Another approach uses laser annealing in place of deep reactive ion etching so that high-temperature tolerant metals do not need to be used in earlier metallization steps. Different orderings for device, circuit, and metallization series of steps are presented.
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12. A method comprising:
fabricating at least a portion of a microelectronic circuit on a substrate including a circuit metallization process, wherein the circuit metallization process uses a high temperature metallization material, wherein the high-temperature metallization material includes tungsten, tungsten silicide, chromium, and/or titanium; and
subsequent to the fabricating step, forming a microelectromechanical device including a device metallization process, wherein the microelectronic circuit includes a noise-reduction circuit.
1. A method comprising:
forming at least a portion of a microelectromechanical device on a substrate;
fabricating at least a portion of a microelectronic circuit on the substrate, wherein fabricating includes a circuit metallization process; and
subsequent to the fabricating, completing formation of the microelectromechanical device by using a device metallization process to fabricate an electrically conductive trace that carries electric signals between the microelectromechanical device and the microelectronic circuit, wherein completing formation of the microelectromechanical device includes using a laser.
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This invention is related in general to microelectronic device fabrication and more specifically to fabrication of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone including signal processing circuitry on a common substrate.
MEMS devices are desirable because of their small size, potential lower cost, and higher performance. Some types of devices that have been built using MEMS techniques include accelerometers, gyroscopes, temperature sensors, chemical sensors, AFM (atomic force microscope) probes, micro-lenses, combdrive actuators, piezoelectric actuators, etc. Such devices can be integrated with microelectronics, packaging, optics, and other devices or components to realize complete MEMS systems. Some examples of MEMS systems include inertial measurement units, optical processors, sensor suites, and micro robots.
Although MEMS techniques, and other related fields such as nanotechnology, have been used successfully to fabricate many types of devices, there are still various problems to be overcome in manufacturing increasingly complex devices. For example, it is desirable to fabricate MEMS devices that include auxiliary electronics or circuits. If the circuits can be formed on the same substrate as the MEMS device, then advantages in smaller size, lower cost, and efficient manufacture may be realized. However, the combination of a MEMS device and microelectronic circuit on a common substrate can be difficult to fabricate due to microelectronic process limitations.
An embodiment of the invention provides a MEMS microphone formed on a single substrate that also includes microelectronic circuitry. For example, signal processing and/or conditioning, noise canceling or reduction, and other functions can be included with the MEMS microphone in an integral unit on a single substrate.
In one embodiment, complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry is formed in conjunction with MEMS device fabrication. High-temperature tolerance metals are used to form contacts in a metallization step before performing deep reactive ion etching and back patterning steps to form a MEMS microphone. High-temperature tolerant metals such as titanium, tungsten, chromium, etc. can be used for the contacts. Another approach uses laser annealing in place of deep reactive ion etching so that high-temperature tolerant metals do not need to be used in earlier metallization steps.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method for fabricating a microelectromechanical device, the method comprising the following: forming at least a portion of a microelectromechanical device on a substrate; fabricating at least a portion of a microelectronic circuit on the substrate including a circuit metallization process; and completing formation of the microelectromechanical device including a device metallization process.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a method for fabricating a microelectromechanical device, the method comprising the following: fabricating at least a portion of a microelectronic circuit on the substrate including a circuit metallization process that uses a high temperature metallization material; and forming a microelectromechanical device including a device metallization process.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a method for fabricating a microelectromechanical device, the method comprising the following: fabricating a microelectronic circuit on a substrate including a circuit metallization process; forming at least a portion of a microelectromechanical device using an annealing process; and completing formation of the microelectromechanical device using a device metallization process.
In one embodiment, the phase of CMOS circuitry fabrication that is illustrated in
In
Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, these embodiments are merely illustrative, and not restrictive, of the invention. For example, the block diagrams of
Any suitable programming language can be used to implement the routines of the present invention including C, C++, assembly language, etc. Different programming techniques can be employed such as procedural or object oriented. The routines can execute on a single processing device or multiple processors. Although the steps, operations, or computations may be presented in a specific order, this order may be changed in different embodiments. In some embodiments, multiple steps shown as sequential in this specification can be performed at the same time. The sequence of operations described herein can be interrupted, suspended, or otherwise controlled by another process, such as an operating system, kernel, etc. The routines can operate in an operating system environment or as stand-alone routines occupying all, or a substantial part, of the system processing.
Although specific types and numbers of tools, utilities, routines or other programs and functionality has been presented, the functionality provided by embodiments of the invention can be provided by many different design approaches. For example, more or less than six tools can be used. A different ordering of functions (i.e., tool execution) may be desirable in different embodiments. Different designs can include combined functionality of several tools into one, or functions can be allocated to more than six tools. It may be possible and desirable to omit functions described herein in some embodiments. Different embodiments can include more or less automation and more or less manual intervention. Features can be added, deleted, or modified, as, for example, to accommodate future computer operating systems, applications, utilities, drivers or other components.
In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of components and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of the present invention.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “a specific embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention and not necessarily in all embodiments. Thus, respective appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, or “in a specific embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics of any specific embodiment of the present invention may be combined in any suitable manner with one or more other embodiments. It is to be understood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated herein are possible in light of the teachings herein and are to be considered as part of the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. It is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention to implement a program or code that can be stored in a machine-readable medium to permit a computer to perform any of the methods described above.
Additionally, any signal arrows in the drawings/Figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically noted. Furthermore, the term “or” as used herein is generally intended to mean “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. Combinations of components or steps will also be considered as being noted, where terminology is foreseen as rendering the ability to separate or combine is unclear.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed herein. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, various equivalent modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate. As indicated, these modifications may be made to the present invention in light of the foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention and are to be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Thus, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, and it will be appreciated that in some instances some features of embodiments of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth. Therefore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the essential scope and spirit of the present invention. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular terms used in following claims and/or to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any and all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.
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